Procurement Strategies for the Years Ahead

Latest Aberdeen Group Study Explores Strategies for Increasing Procurement's Contribution to the Enterprise

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - October 14, 2010) - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS) announced the publication of its latest supply management study, From Preservation to Prosperity: The CPO's Agenda for a New Decade. Drawing on the responses of over 400 procurement professionals, this report profiles their strategies and plans for procurement in the years ahead.

"As businesses progress in the coming years, the role of procurement will be defined by two elements: the function's ability to deliver what is expected (namely cost savings), and its ability to transcend expectations by contributing non-cost-related benefits through data sharing and collaboration," said Scott Pezza, senior associate, Aberdeen. "At present, however, cost is still the dominant pressure respondents are facing that causes them to focus on procurement improvement."

To put companies' various strategic and technological choices into context, Aberdeen divided them into three groups based on performance results. "Given procurement's central role in supporting enterprise profitability, Aberdeen used two key criteria to distinguish these three groups: the percentage of cost savings actually realized (as opposed to simply identified or negotiated), and the department's performance against their established operating budget," said Christopher Dwyer, research analyst, Aberdeen. "These measures seek to present a balanced picture of procurement organizations that are able to deliver cost savings while meeting or exceeding budgetary expectations."

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.